¥600,000 (Direct Cost : ¥600,000)

Although the proportion of the aged persons has been high in the western part of Japan, and, on the contrary, low in the eastern part, such a difference are gradually losing. However, the distribution pattern of the aged is coming into existence that the aging advances in both megalopolises and small-scale municipalities. Especially, the aging is proceeding very rapidly in the rural Japan. Moreover, the peak of the aging comes earlier in the depopulated areas. Such an areas are facing the catastrophe.The issues of the daily life of the aged in rural Japan under such conditions cannot be made clear without approaching from the viewpoints of self-reliance. in economic, social, and bodily life. This project is based on the research including questionnaires in Tohaku Town, Tottori Prefecture. The aim is to make clear not the issues "by the growth of the aged" but "of the age themselves".The following points are major contents. (1)The issues the daily life of the aged are varied by the type of the family. For example, the self-reliance in economic life is much important for households of the single and the couples. They must continue to work because of the shortage of an official pension. (2)The consciousness concerning the issues of aging has a clear difference between the persons below than forties and more than fifties. (3)Village people do not prefer to living in a "care house", even its targets are healthy old persons, because they want to avoid injurious reputations. (4)The residents of a "care house" are requiring opportunities for working. In Tohaku Town, an agricultural cooperative set up a "care house" with farm lands and greenhouses. This is the strong merit caused from cares of the aged by agricultural cooperatives.